"Straight Outta Compton, crazy mother—" Oops, wrong O'Shea.
"Come on, Bryan! I got a baby on the way, and a house I just paid for off the strength of what you told me!"
— Ice Cube, Straight Outta Compton, where said baby is now a grownup playing his father.
He might be the spitting image of his father, but O'Shea Jackson Jr. (born February 24, 1991) is far from a carbon copy.
Son of pioneering Gangsta Rap icon Ice Cube, his early career took a somewhat similar trajectory as his father's: Under the name "OMG", he first appeared with his brother Darrel "Doughboy" Jackson on two tracks from their father's 2010 album I Am The West, and later released his own mixtape, Jackin' for Beats, two years later. However, his biggest claim to fame is portraying his father in the N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton, both his first major motion picture, and his first starring role. Since then, Jackson has been featured in a variety of acclaimed leading and supporting roles, ranging from comedy to drama.
Film:
- Straight Outta Compton (2015) as his father
- Ingrid Goes West (2017) as Dan Pinto
- Den of Thieves (2018) as Donnie Wilson
- Long Shot (2019) as Lance
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) (2019) as Chief Warrant Officer Jackson Barnes
- Just Mercy (2019) as Anthony Ray Hinton
- Cocaine Bear (2023) as Daveed
Television:
- Drunk History (2018) as DJ Kool Herc (Episdode: "Game Changers")
- The Now (2020)
- Swagger! (2021)
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
Discography:
- Jackin' For Beats (2012, mixtape)
Tropes and Triva Related to his Career:
- Freestyle Version: Jackin' For Beats is a mixtape centered around O'Shea freestyling over the top rap songs of the time, ranging from Dr. Dre to Drake.
- Like Father, Like Son: Like his dad, he started out as a rapper before transitioning to the silver screen, though his film roles have been a bit more diverse than the roles his dad usually plays.
- Nepotism: Pointedly averted, if not outright defied, by both him and his father. Ice Cube made him go through acting classes for Straight Outta Compton, and the majority of O'Shea's roles so far have been completely different from his dad's, and, outside Compton, unaffiliated with his father's production company, Cube Vision.
- Uncanny Family Resemblance: It was practically on the strength of this alone he was cast as his father in Straight Outta Compton. Compare a picture of Ice Cube himself around the release of the titular album with Jr. in the movie portrayal.
◊ - What Could Have Been: He almost turned down playing his father in Compton, until he realized he would've regretted it if someone else got the role.
